In thinking about the presence of Queer artists whose work is so often pushed away from the mainstream attention of the art world, I like to draw on contemporary artist Felix D’eon’s work for inspiration. What I find most inspiring and liberating about D’eon’s art, is his disruption of respectability politics by producing such an unapologetically erotic display of Queer identity through culturally diverse subjects. I’m also a big fan of not only his subject matter, but also the manner in which he produces his art, creating his prints with detail-oriented and hyper-defining techniques, and a personal style that’s reminiscent of a Lotería card game set; an ode to his own Mexican heritage. In crafting such a diverse display of love and eroticism, D’eon is quoted as saying that his work is intended for ‘erasing shame and celebrating desire.’ By rooting his art in his own cultural and sexual identity, while simultaneously shining light on the vast array of identities present within the Queer community, D’eon instills a sense of personal pride for his diverse audience by blatantly commemorating the traditionally ‘uncomfortable’ and demystifying the ‘taboo.’
